Detergent.



Z. COMPOSITIONS,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN E. JOHNSON, OF SAN MARTIN, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO M.J'. POPE AND ONE-HALF TO FRANK D. THORNE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DETERGENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

No Drawing. Application filed May 3, 1906, Serial No. 315,072. RenewedDecember 22, 1908. Serial No. 468,858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN E. J OHNSON, residing at the city of SanMartin, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Detergents, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to detergent compounds, especially those designedfor toilet purposes, such as cleaning and washing the hands, the bath,and shampooing the hair.

One of my objects has been to provide an article that will have theadvantage of being in powdered form, and at the same time be composed ofsuch ingredients that its use will not injure the skin, so that it maybe used in cases where the ordinary strong washing powders would, forany reason, be harmful or their use undesirable. It has also been mydesire to produce a washing powder having marked antiseptic properties,and, with this end in view, I have introduced substances adapted todecompose at the proper time and which, in the process of decomposition,yield free oxygen.

Nascent oxygen possesses marked antiseptic, healing, and otherbeneficial properties, so that its liberation in connection with awashing powder will be attended with good results.

In the manufacture of my improved compound, I make use of the followingingredients, in approximately the proportions named opposite each:

Comminuted maize; 150 lbs. Powdered soap 5O Irish moss (carrageen) 402s.Paraffin wax 8 An oxygen-liberating substance, as, for example,perborate of sodium (NaBO or zinc peroxid (Z110 4; Perfuming substance1} oz.

soap used. Then, the prospective use of the article may, also, cause achange in proportions of some of the ingredients used, as where thearticle is designed especially for coal miners, in which case theproportion of the abrasive maize needed would be greater than thatrequired in the nursery. A number of different grades of themanufactured article, selling at different prices, can also be providedby increasing or decreasing the proportion of the more expensiveingredients. In some cases, the perfuming substance might be omittedentirely, as many persons refer an unscented article.

In 0I'( er properly to compound the ingredients above specified, Iproceed as follows: The Irish moss is placed in a suitable receptaclecomposed of reticulated material, as, for instance, a bag made of cheesecloth, and is then boiled in about a quart of water. This causes themoss to dissolve and assume a thick mucilaginous or pastelike form. Iprefer to lJOll it in a cloth bag, as the bag can be squeezed from timeto time and the mucilaginous mass forced out into any convenientreceptacle. It is not necessary to dissolve all of the moss, but ifthree-quarters thereof is exhausted, that will be suflicient. Themucilage thus prepared by dissolving the moss is allowed to cool, afterwhich it is gradually and thoroughly mixed with about 10 lbs. of thecomminuted maize, the whole being kept in powdered form and not allowedto cake or become lumpy. This powder is then spread out in shallowtrays, and allowed to dry in the sun or in a warm room, due care beingtaken to revent its being baked, after which it is sifted to remove anycakes or lumps that may have formed. The paraflin wax is melted, andabout 10 pounds of the comminuted maize are gradually mixed in with itwhile in said molten condition, an ordinary druggists pestle being usedthoroughly to mix the two substances. The perborate of sodium, peroxidof zinc, or other oxygen-yielding substance, whatever may be selected,and the erfume, if any be used, are then mechanica ly mixed togetherwith about one pound of the commmuted maize, after which the mixture issifted.

The products resulting from the three steps taken as above described arethen thor- Lm itli skin. The comminuted maize, havin oughly mixed withthe rest of the comminuted maize and the powdered soap. This last mixingis merely a mechanical agitation, and any of the well-known mixing ma- 5chines of which there are a number on the market are adapted for thatpurpose, After being thus mixed, the compound is given a final sifting,and is then ready to be packed and shipped.

When it is desired to use my compound, the hands or other parts to becleansed should be wet and a small quantity of the powder, drawn from ansuitable soap receptacle, placed or sprin led thereon. The

water acts on the sea and a large part of t e cleansing operation isperformed thereb The ris moss serves as a kind of a inder or adhesive tohold the different in edients together, and,

also together with t e araflin, serves as a mec anical collector of irt,and as a lubri: cant. A further reason for the use of the arafiin isthat, while a fatty compound is desirable in an soa the use of animalfats should be avoi ed, or, when they come into contact with the skin inthe presence of zinc peroxid, as hereinafter described, there is atendency to form zinc oleate, zinc stearate, and other zinc salts whichmay irritate tlge sorptive pro rties, will absorb any moisture to whiche compound may be exposed when standing near a washstand, and thus keepthe wder dry and tend to prevent cakm urther, as it is insoluble inwater,

-it wi not be dissolved like the other inedients, but will be softenedto a slight egree. As the hands are rubbed, it serves as a mild, butefficient, abrasive, and one that 'will penetrate into the cracks of theskin, helping to remove both dirt and waste cuticle, but as it is notsharp, hard, or rou h,

like most abrasives, especially those o a mineral origin, it will notscratch or 1n]ure the skin, and, as it ischemically innocuous, no harmcan result even if small particles of it should enter breaks or cuts inthe skin. The article which is herein designated as comminuted maize isknown to the trade as o cones, and is merely finely pulverized maize orIndian corn. It is more suitable for this purpose than any' othervegetable abrasive, not only on account of its oomparatively low cost,but, also, by reason of the fact that it is wanting in luten andalbuminous matter, which wou d tend to make the whole compound stickywhen wet. The sodium perborate is a combined antiseptic and cleansingagent. On coming into contact with water and withthe secretions of theskin, it breaks up into free oxygen, hydrogen peroxid, and sodiumbiborate or borax. The hydrogen roxid thus obtained bleaches and whitenst e skin, being assisted 5 in so doing by the nascent oxygen, which inthe usual manner,

also serves as a disinfectant and a deodorizer. The borax is both acleansing and an antiseptic agent. The sodium perborate has theadvantage of being a relatively stable salt, and one that will not giveu its oxygen until brought into contact with water, so that the mixturewill not deteriorate -on standing.

While the use of sodium perborate as the oxygen-liberatin agent does, inmany respec-ts, produce t e est results, success has also attended theuse of zinc peroxid. This antiseptic agent is decomposed into zincmonoxid an free oxygen. It has been found, however, that the zinc ro'xidis not easily soluble in water, and will not, therefore, liberate itsoxygen as rapidl as the sodium perborate, but to obviate th1s defect,

a small uantity of one of the weaker organic aci s (tartaric, forexample) may be incorporated into the mixture to assist in thedecomposition of the peroxid. Instead of using an acid, however, sodiumrborate may be added to the composition fh r a like purpose and withlike results, as it, also, serves to promote the decomposition of thezinc peroxid. Where sodium perborate is thus used, the mixture shouldcontain approximately equal proportions of sodium erborate and zincperoxid, and it has been ound that a mixture containing, in addition tothe other ingredients, equal quantities of sodium rborate and zlncperoxid, is entirely satis actory.

Obviously I do not intend to be restricted ,to the use of either of theabove-mentioned ox gen-liberating compounds, but any other an stancethat will decompose and give off free oxy n may be used. The onesspecified are erein recommended because they are well and favorablknown, are reasonably quick to give up t eir oxy en, and their cost islow enough to make t eir use commercially practicable.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent is: 4

1. A detergent composed of one hundred and fifty parts comminuted maize,fift parts powdered soap, one-fourth part Iris moss, one-fourth partperborate of sodium, one-half part paraflin wax, and one-thirtysecondpart of a perfuming substance.

2. A detergent composed of sodium perborate, powdered soap, Irish moss,paraflin, and comminuted maize substantiall in the progprtrons stated,but not chemically com- 3. A detergent consisting of an abrasive, acleansing ingredient, sodium perborate, and zinc peroxid.

4. A detergent composed of one hundred and fifty arts comminuted maize,fifty parts powde soap, on'e-fourth part Irish moss, one-half partparafiin wax, one-fourth part 130 252. COMPOSITIONS;

1n the decomposition of said peroxid.

Qross Reference Examine;

7. A detergent composed of c'omminuted maize, powdered soap, and zincperoxid, said ingredients being mechanically mixed, but not chemicallycombined.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

EDWIN E. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

J. P. HINES, ALoNzo J. Fox.

